Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson

Short Description

Even after 150 years it's one of the most tender leaf lettuces.

Full Description

Hugely popular for over 150 years, it's one of the most tender and delicately flavored leaf lettuces ever bred. The ruffled leaves are large with an appealing green color. Simpson is well adapted to a wide range of climates and is still the best for early spring sowing.

Type
Some flowers and vegetables fall into subcategories that may define how they grow (such as pole or bush), what they are used for (such as slicing tomatoes or shelling peas), flower type, or other designations that will help you select the type of a class of plant that you are looking for.

Looseleaf

Days To Maturity
The average number of days from when the plant is actively growing in the garden to the expected time of harvest.

45 days

Leaf Texture
The typical height of this product at maturity.

Savoy

Sun
The amount of sunlight this product needs daily in order to perform well in the garden. Full sun means 6 hours of direct sun per day; partial sun means 2-4 hours of direct sun per day; shade means little or no direct sun.

How to Grow

Lettuce is shallow-rooted, so avoid disturbing the soil around the plants when weeding.

Unless there is regular rainfall, lettuce plants must be watered deeply at least once a week and more frequently during periods of drought.

Mulch with a layer of compost or clean straw to help the soil retain moisture.

Harvest and Preserving Tips

For the best quality, pick lettuce early rather than late as lettuce allowed to grow too long may be bitter and tough.

Try to harvest in the morning when the leaves are crisp, sweet, and full of moisture.

Harvest looseleaf types anytime the leaves are large enough to use.

Harvest butterhead types when they have formed heads and the leaves are a good size.

Cut the heads below the crown.

On leaf types, you can just pick a few leaves at a time, if you like.

Store for 5-7 days in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Many gardeners wrap leaves in moist paper towels.

Lettuce is a classic ingredient in salads. It adds crispness to sandwiches and can be used as a garnish, braised, or added to soups. Many of the looseleaf cultivars are also decorative in the garden.

Product Details

Type

Looseleaf

Days To Maturity

45 days

Leaf Texture

Savoy

Sun

Full Sun, Part Sun

Spread

6 inches

Height

9-15 inches

Sow Method

Direct Sow/Indoor Sow

Planting Time

Fall, Spring

Sow Time

2-4 weeks BLF

Thin

8 inches

Reviews

Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson is rated
4.5 out of
5 by
11.

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Landseac from
Fast and easy to grow!These lettuce seeds geminate quickly and grow really fast. Attract some pests but are generally free of disease issues.

Date published: 2016-08-28

Rated 5 out of
5 by
rossthoundhunter from
we are doing aquapondiccs in class and i was wondering a few things what are the nutriant requirements what are the growth rate and how do they compare to butter crunch

Date published: 2015-01-26

Rated 5 out of
5 by
irelamanda from
Great Producer!This lettuce is an heirloom and comes up each year without any flaws. The taste is great and is a very hearty variety.

Date published: 2014-08-29

Rated 4 out of
5 by
daisygurl from
Love this lettuce!Here in Central Florida, lettuce can be tricky due to humidity and heat setting in early. This lettuce did not disappoint. It was tender and crunchy and almost sweet when picked young. I will definitely be growing it again!

Date published: 2012-05-15

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Jasman from
Very PleasedWe have a small garden so we only planted a little bit (maybe a 6 foot row). About every other day I would pick some leaves off to make two salads and it always seemed like there was just as much every time I came back. The leaves were tender but not uninteresting like other lettuce I've grown before.

Date published: 2011-07-13

Rated 5 out of
5 by
GardenGirl88 from
We were able to feed the masses!We planted about 20 feet of this in a row, and it performed better than we could have hoped for. My mom and her boyfriend ate as much as they could, shared with the people in their apartment building, and there was still enough to take up to the local assisted living facility in our small town.
It starts easily and quickly, and grew about 18 inches wide and high. We planted Mother's Day weekend, and it finally bolted around the beginning of August. We got a very long season for our area.
Only down thing was that it did aggravate Mom's boyfriend's diverticulitis in large quantities (they ate it every day). No such trouble with the romaine.

Date published: 2009-08-26

Rated 4 out of
5 by
lexgardener from
Very easy to grow. I agree that it gets bitter the bigger it gets.

Date published: 2009-03-17

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Ernie from
Okay PurchaseThis is the one and only leaf lettuce that I grow. It is easy to germinate and never leaves me dissapointed. The only bad thing about the lettuce is that where I live in Maryland the lettuce is very quick to bolt and gets bitter very quickly.